4 Haircuts That Make You Look Years Younger

One stylist shares her pro secrets for maximizing the youth-boosting power of a new 'do.

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Classic Bob: What To Ask For

Go for an angled bob that grazes the bottom of your jaw in front and gets progressively shorter toward the back. If you have fine hair, ask to have the edges cut in a straight line; this will make hair look thicker. If you have coarse locks, soft layers throughout will keep a bob from looking bulky.

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Classic Bob: Why It's Flattering

It gives the face an instant lift by drawing onlookers' eyes up the diagonal from the chin to the nape of your neck. "The angle creates the illusion of lifted cheekbones and a higher jaw, making the bob a great choice if your face is showing the effects of gravity and your skin is starting to sag," says Jessica Gillin, celebrity hairstylist of the Marie Robinson Salon in New York City.

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Classic Bob: What To Avoid

But don't go too short. The cut shouldn't rise above your hairline in the back, or the style will look messy once your fine baby hairs start growing in. And if you are heavier-set or have a round face, make sure the bob is not rounded. "An angled graduation of length will help give definition to your jawline," says Gillin.

Ask your stylist to cut short, shaggy layers throughout your hair. "This look is heavily layered and all about having lots of defined, angled pieces," says Gillin, so specify that you want the layers to be chunky and square. The length of the style should hit around the middle of your neck.

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Choppy Layers: Why It's Flattering

Multiple short layers create fullness and volume, making this a good cut for those whose hair is a bit thinner on the sides or on top. Long hair lies flat and can show the scalp, but short, shaggy layers throughout help hide thinness, says Gillin. They also add breadth to your face, counteracting gauntness.

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Choppy Layers: What To Avoid

The wrong ratio of lengths can look awkward. "If the layers are too short on the sides and too long in the back, the cut will look dated," says Gillin. Prevent this "aging-rock-star" style by keeping the sides no more than half an inch shorter than the back, with the overall length proportional and about the same around your head.

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Choppy Layers: Styling Tricks

Create definition to highlight choppy pieces. After blow-drying, warm a dime-size amount of a styling wax or pomade between your palms (this ensures even distribution). One to try: Samy Professional Dry Icing Instant Re-Styler ($8, amazon.com). Then flip your head upside down and work product through dry hair, starting at the underside and going all the way to the ends. This draws attention to the individual layers without weighing down the top and making hair flat.

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Long Layers: What To Ask For

Request soft layers, subtly graduated. If your hair is thick, ask for face-framing pieces. Layers should graze the cheek, then gradually get longer. For thin hair, the front ones should be no shorter than chin length, which will keep ends from looking stringy. The cut should end around your collarbone.

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Long Layers: Why It's Flattering

Long hair is youthful, but this tasteful length doesn't come across as "wannabe 20-something," says Gillin. It draws attention to and highlights the collarbone, a flattering area on women of any age. The soft layers in the front open up your face and make the style more modern than a blunt cut.

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Long Layers: What To Avoid

Choppy layers that are cut straight across, particularly near your face: They'll make the front of your hair look like a shelf, creating an unflattering mushroom-like effect, says Gillin. Watch the length — while a little past your collar is fine, anything longer will make you look too much like a college coed.

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Long Layers: Styling Tricks

Use a volumizing spray to highlight the layers. We like Matrix Total Results Amplify Volume Wonder Boost Root Lifter ($12, amazon.com). Or, if your hair is especially fine, try a mousse like Pureology ColourStylist Root Lift ($24, amazon.com). Even if you let the rest of your hair air-dry, blow-dry the top (think of the strip of hair that defines a Mohawk). Wrap it around a large round brush, pulling it back as you dry to give the front layers more body.

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Soft Bangs: What To Ask For

Use the words "wispy" and "soft" when describing these bangs. Make sure they are long enough to be pushed off to the side; they should end anywhere between the eyebrow and the cheekbone, depending on your preference. Refer to them as a "swoop bang" — stylist lingo for side-swept, explains Gillin.

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Soft Bangs: Why It's Flattering

Not only do bangs help hide forehead wrinkles, but "sweeping them to the side draws attention to the outsides of your cheekbones, visually widening the face and creating the illusion of youthful fullness," says Gillin. (Bonus: This type of bang can be incorporated into any of the other three styles.)

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Soft Bangs: What To Avoid

Any type of blunt or heavy bangs that are cut straight across. "These bangs create a harsh line across your forehead that looks too severe and will add — rather than subtract — years," explains Gillin. Be careful not to go too short: For an easy swoop, the shortest point should be below your eyebrows.

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Soft Bangs: Styling Tricks

Avoid product, and perfect your blow-drying technique instead. Thanks to constant contact with your skin, bangs get greasy faster than the rest of your hair; stylers only contribute to oiliness. If there's no time to wash your full head, quickly wash bangs. Then wrap them around a small round brush, like Goody Round Brush ($8, target.com), and brush up and back while aiming heat underneath. Once they're dry, let them fall and part naturally.

Designed by Megan Tatem

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